Results for Pacific Islands

here are no words to described and express the sadness and feelings of the unfortunate incident on 16th/11, reading so many emotional point of views from so many very passionate LTE and understandably seeing from both sides of this debate. I pray that through "TalaTalanoa" between the people and it's Govt., could bring meaningful changes for the future of our children and families.- MT Tuaileva

It is so disappointing to read some of the personal and professional comments made by the political advisor, or is it the press secretary of the Tongan Prime Minister. In fact, Mr Senituli accuses every one who has formed an opinion or reported on the events of Nov 16 riot of distorting the truth. -Sera Taufa.

Please, through your site, thank the staff I worked closely with at Peau Vava'u Airlines for the two and a half weeks I was in Tonga before the riots forced us to leave. I would particularly like to thank the two drivers for the company who drove us from the hotel to safety. - Paul Neame

Many of us in Hawaii watch the recent events in Tonga, and as outsiders we are confused and saddend that so much destruction has happened to many of Tonga's innocent businesses and people.... Now at the end of 2006, we Hawaiians, find it interesting that an island with people like us...…are destroying a city to compel democracy....Tonga is going through riots for forced democratic reform, while here many of us (not me), sing songs of protest and march in the streets...…wishing King Kamehameha'’s royal line was still in command. - Joe

How is it that the Government and its National Security Agencies allow the situation to get to a point where our capital continues to be engulfed with flames?For now, this event is unimaginable to go this far, and we can only read and listen to news overseas with immense disappointment for leaders who were involved, especially in inciting the riot in the first place, and also at all political parties involved for failing to put an end or at least prevent such acts from happening. - Molisi Manu'atu

How sad it is to hear what is happening in Tonga. I was shocked to hear that the peaceful little island I grew up in and always held in high views has diminished its friendly reputation because of these ignorant rioters. Is this what they call democracy? What happened to the values that we grew up with? - M. Niukapu

Claims by three Bangladeshi immigrant workers in Tonga, that they were mistreated have been disputed by a Nuku'alofa woman Siuni Lotaki, their caretaker and the Manager of the Pacific Group of Business Ltd, who brought the men to Tonga. The three workers told Matangi Tonga Online last week that they had been brought to Tonga on false promises and then treated like slaves, working long hours, were unpaid, locked up, and one of them was poked in the eye by their caretaker. Siuni said that the idea to set up tailoring and cafe business in Tonga was conceived by herself, her husband, Masod Ahamed Khan, and Mohammed Iftekhar Uddin in Australia. They brought in another Tongan shareholder, Sione Falemanu, who is Tonga's supervisor of prisons.

The status of the Tonga government's Human Rights Practices during 2004, according to the US Department of State was “Poor”.

(CPU Online/Pacific Media Watch): Representatives from across the Commonwealth this week revealed press freedom was under threat from political and economic interference as well as self-censorship in areas spanning the Pacific, Africa and Asia.